Entrainment mechanism



Aprilv23, 1.929. I J, A. McGR Ew 1,710,427

ENTRAINMENT MECHANISM Filed Oct. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN-TOR April 23, 1929. MQGREW 1,710,427

ENTRAINMENT MECHANI SM Fileql Oct- 1924 2 Sheets-$heet 3 INVENTOR M ATTOR Y 1 power to the dr ving shaft, said power trans- Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

JOHN A. McGREW, or ALBAN NEW YonK,

ENTRAINMENT ISM.

Application filed October 8, 1924. Serial 1-n *i42,490.

This invention relates to an improved entrainment mechani n and has for its primary objectto provide simple audpositively operating means for entraining spaced d.isen gag ed driving and driven members with each other which is essentiallycharacterized by i the fact that said means l'oreli'ecting such entrainment is operatively controlled and actuated by the driving; member toestablish and constantly maintain during the operationot said i'nen'iber, an uninterrupted transmission oi power from the driving member to the p 1n normal POSliLlOH and illustrating the power transmitting gear in dotted lines 111 entrained dri ven men'iher.

More particularly, in t1)1L0l)lC2Ll embodiment of the invention 1 provide a power transmission element which is normally idle and an eccentric means actuated from the driving or power member in the initial operation thereof for moving said element from its normally idleposition to. a position in power transmitting relation with said driving member and a driven member. It is also an important object of my present improvements to provide such an automatic means governed from the driving shalt for eliecting an entrainment and tosomount and arrange the power transmitting element that immediately upon discontinuing the application of refitting element is automatically returned to its normal idle position out 0t operative relation to the driven member.

lily present improvements aremore par- .tieularly designed for use and application in the invention consists in theimproved entrainment mechanism, and inthe form, constrr n and arrangement of its several 1 {IS'Wlll be vheremalter more fully dehe died, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the suhjoined claims.

In the drawl wherein l-h ave illustrated .ill ustr mally idle trues.

other controlling or regu several simple and practical embodiments of my present improvements and in WlllCll similar reference charactersdesign ate corresponding parts tln'oughout the several views:

' Figure lis a plan view showing a portion of the supporting :irame ol? a propulsion unit, one of: thetruck axles orshat'ts, and my improved entrainment mechanism in one of its pract'cal embodiments; j

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the end ol the frame and the gear housing, showing the entrainment means in full lines relation with the gear on the truck axle or shalt; p

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 tinefian intermediate "position'ol the parts before full entraiinnent takes place;

and

Figure 4c is a sectional view similar to Figure'il illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention i i As heretofore stated, the present invention is primarily designed for the purpose of entraii'iing an auxiliary propulsion unit or booster motor'l or a locomotive With a noraxle or shaft, whereby the traetive eil'ort of the main locomotive engine maybe supplemented at low speeds. It is,

of course, also important that when the aid oli this booster motor or "propulsion unitis no longer desired or necessary, that it shall be automatically disentrained fromthe truck axle. l lowev-er, as will appear from the following description, the" present invention is not necessarily restricted to this particular application thereof, but may be readily applied in various other cases to automatically entrain an ddisentrain a power actuated drivin}; shaft with or from a shaft to be driven thereby.

As illustrated in the accompanying; drawings, have shown a portion of a suitably constructed frame 5 upon which the parts of the auxiliary propulsion unitor booster motor '(not'shown) are'mounted. Any pre ferred meansmay be employed for supportin or suspending this motor carrying frame with relation to a truck frame, but I preferloo ably suspend the propulsion unit with its frame between spaced Wheel. axles of the;

truck, one of which I have indicated at 6.

from-such normah position is limited of-the idler gear or the This axle which normally runs idle, has fixed thereon a gear wheel '3'.

The driving shaft 8 actuated through the medium of suitable connections with the propulsion unit or booster motor is 'journaled in spaced hearings on the frame 5, and this shaft has fixed thereon the driving gear 9 spaced from and out of meshing relation to the gear 7 on the shaft or axle 6.

Upon the driving shaft 8 there is loosely mounted a rot-kn member. in the prez-ient instance I have shown this rocker member in the form of a yoke having spaced arms 10 arranged respectively on opposite sides oi. the gear 9 and engaged intermediate of their ends upon the shaft 8 for free rocking movement.

,l lie ends oif'these arms projecting below the shaft S'are integrally or otherwise connected with each other by a counterbalancing weight 11. The other endportions oi. said arms are angularly disposed with relation to the Weighted ends thereot and e; ended above the shaft 8. Between the latter ends of the yoli'e arms the idler r 12 is rotatably mounted; the teeth of said gear being in c-: n-. stant mesh with the teeth o'f 'the driving gear-9,. I j

Above the shaft 8 an arm 13 is pivotally mounted at one of its ends for swinging movement upon 2. stud or pin lei: liner in a part of the frame 5. This end of id arm is formed with a series of teeth 15 extemlingin an arc ebceutric with relation to the pivot pin let. 'llhe other end of, the arm 13 is provided with a suitable weight 16 which holds said-arm in a normal position with its lower edge in contact with a stop 17 fixed to the frame 5. Swinging movement oi the arm 13 by a second stop 18011 the "frame 5. I

The gearin above referred to is enclosed within asuitable housing or casing" 19 adapted to contain a suitable lubricatino' oil whereby all of the parts will be lubricated. p

From reference to Figure 2 01 the drawlugs; it will be observed that normally, or whenv the propulsion unit or booster ntiotor is not in operation and the axle G running idle,

automatically the arm 13 in its norn'ial position of rest in engagement with the stop 17 and the teeth 12 are engiig d with the eccentric series of teeth 15 on tlie pivoted end of said arm. Upon sup 'ilying steamer other motive agent to the propulsion unit whereby the latter is actuated, rotation inimarted to the driving shaft 8 and through the medium gear S'rota ting in a clockwise direction, rotation is transmitted to the 'idler gear or power transmitting element 12' in anticlockwisedirection.- Since the teeth of this gear are in mesh with the teeth 15 on the lever 13, said lever will be swung upwardly from its normal. position, and due to theccentric relation of the teeth 1 5 to the lever pivot, it

to the is obvious that the gear 12 will beforced to the right irom the the rocker member 111 which said gear 1s mounted rocking freely on the driving shaft thepivoted arm which most remote from.

position seen in Figure 2,

the axis of said arm. In the continued rotation of the gear 12, as said tooth slides oil of tlie'tooth arammmg action takes place isnio'ved into full meshing relation lines n 2 so that a positive driving im-' 3e transmitted to the axle 6 from the drivingsha' 't 8. 'l he'arm 13 then retu-rns'to its normal sition- Since this e'ntraining action taliosplace in the initial rotation of the d'ri Eng shaft 8 an d before the propulsion unit has attained its maximum power output, at the time the teeth of the po er'transmitting gear 12 are moved into meshing or entrained relation with the teeth of the-gear 7, said gear 12 rotating at approximately the same speed as the gear 7 on axle 6, assuming o't course, tha t the main locomotive ene'ine has been started and the train moving at slow speed. 7 I V immediately upon ell ectmgi; sucnentrainment, the tractivc power output of the main engine is supplemented by the auxiliary propulsion unit or booster motor transmitting a positive power driving impulse to the normally idle trucl-t axle 6 whereby the movement of the train will be appreciably accelerated. {l hcn the movenient of the train 1 has rearhed a speed of lfi n'iiles, per hour and the aid oitythi :mxiliary propulsion unit is no oh the gear 7, as shown in dotted longer desired necessary, the supply otthe steam orother motive agent to said unit is cut oil, thereby discontinuing the further rotation of the drivingshatt 8,. Accordingly, it Will be obvious th a is the gear 7 on the axle 6 continues to rotate, it will rotatethe transmittin gear is in meshi.

r 12 onits axis and as said power relation with the now stationary gear 9 on the driving shaft' 8 the w ll to acid around the gear 8 and move oil; irom its entraiued position, such gravity movement of the weight 11 This sue. rent continues'i until; the teeth of the" gear 12 againmesli with the eccentric series of teeth 15 on the pivoted armQIK-Which; of

. ursegjisnm its .normal position shown in igure a of the drawings; Thus the disentrainn'ientot the driving'shia'ft from the shaft or axle 6 is also instantaneouslyautomatic when the booster or propulsion unit is cut out.

, isswung upon the drivingshaft to move the.

From the above it will be seen that the ention of the weight 11 tending to return the" gear element 12 to its normal idle position.

However, as soon the positive rotation of the gear element 12 is stopped or interrupted,

said gear element is instantiy returned to its normally idle or disentrained position in the manner above explained. It is thus apparent that I have succeeded, in a very simple'arrangement of parts, in producing an auton'iatic entrainingand' disentraining mechanism which will be highly positive and efii cient in the performance of its functions.

In Figure 4 of the drawings I have illustrated an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the driving, driven and power transmission gears'are mounted and arranged substantially in the same manner as above described. In this construction, however, instead of providing the pivoted arm 13, a pinion 20 is suitably mounted-upon the supporting frame and transmits rotation from the driving gear 7 to a second pinion 21. This latter pinion carries.aneccentric 22 h avin g a smooth or uninterrupted peripheral face which is'adapted to coact with an abutment surface 23 on the upper end of one of the yoke arms in which the power transmitting gear 12 is mounted. In this case, downward gravity movement of the other end of the yoke or rocker is limited by the stop pin 24.

gear-12 is normally retaine'dby. the weighted rocker out of meshing engagement with the gear 7 on the driven shaft or'axle and also out of meshing relation with the pinions 20 and 21. When the propulsion unit is started and the driving shaft "8 rotated, rotation is transmitted through the pinions 20 and 21 to the eccentric 22 simultaneously with the. rotation of the idler gear 12. The peripheral face of the eccentric is thus brought into engagement with the abutment face 23 on the rockermember and said rocker idler gear 12 carried thereby to the right and into entrained or meshing engagementwith the gear on the driven shaft or axle. As this gear moves into itsffull meshed or enof theeccentric 22 so that the face 23 After entrainment In the operation of thiseinbodimentfof the inventlon, the idler or power t1tI1S1D1l3t1I1 trained position, in the 'final portion of the enmeshing action, the rocker member is moved upon the driving shaft independently of said rocker member will beout of contact with .the peripheral faceof the eccentric in the continued rotation of the. latter. This onmeshed 'or'entramedrelation of the gears 7 and 12 Wlll be maintained as long as there is a driving power transmitting impulse by the shaft 8.

Upon stopping the operation of the'boo'ster motor or propulsion unit and consequently, the

mal position in the manner above explainrd.

shaft 8, the idler or power transmitting gear 12 is returned to its nor Should the highportion of theeccentric. 22-

: be opposed to the" face 23 or the rocker mom her at this time there Wlll be Slll'llClGDi) continned rotation of the eccentric 22 trans mitted from'the gear 7 onthe rotating shaft or axle 6 through the gear12 to permit of such return movement of the rocker member and the idler gear to normalposition.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and arrangement of well as the manner of the several parts, as

embodiments of operation of the illustrated the invention will be clearly understood. It will'be seen that in each instance, I effectan.

entrainment between the spaced disengaged driving and driven members through the medium of means which is operativelycontrolled and" actuated by the driving member and which, during the operation of the driv ing member, constantly maintains an uninte rrup ted transmission of power from the driving member to the driven member. At

the same time, the several parts of this auto inatic entraining mechanism are so con structe'd, mounted andv arranged that upon the removalfofthe application of power to the driving shaft, the automatic disentraining of said shaft from the driven shaft results. In so far as I amaware, I believe it to be broadly new in the art to provide means for automatically entraining the normally disentraming driv ng and driven shafts with each other through the medium of gearing or, equivalent power transmitting elements andwherein the actuating or controlling force to establish the entrained relation of such elements is exerted by one of the power transmitting elements, in the operationfthereof. Thus it willbe seen that a device of this nature is of great practical importance, especially inconnection with the, operation of auxiliary propulsion units or booster'motors for locomotives as I am enabled thereby to entirely dispense .with the use of'more or less complicated arrangements of piping and control valves such have heretofore been proposedfm this purpose. It will be noted that I avoid theuse of springs or other mechanical elements which iii might be easily broken or become damaged or displaced throngh' shock or vibrationso that the" device Will he at all times positive and reliable in the performance its timetions and Will require inspeeti-on for purposes of'repair only at infrequent intervals.

I have herein described and illu ate d several praetieai and satisfactory embodiments of my present improvements, no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom since manifestly it may he possible to secure substantially the same desirable results by resorting to othei 'or alternative arrangements of the several elements which may or may not require variations in the form and construction thereof. Accordteeth of the power transmittinggear member and rendered on ive their )y in the initial operation of the driving gear member to shi'i t'said power transmi ing gear mem her from a normally idle position to a position in power transmitting relation. with said driven gear member.

2. In'co nbination with spaced disengaged driving and driven members, a rocker mem her, a normally idle power transmitting element carried by said roeker member, means controlled aiul'actuated by the driving memberin the initial operation thereoi tel-0&1; said rocker member in one direction and move said power transmitti'ng element from its normally idle position to apes tion in power transmittingf relation with said driving and driven members, said means inclnding a member rotatably mounted on a iiiiedaxis and having a'surtaoe of increasing" radius with reference to said axis which. normally engages said idle power transinittin "element and means auton' atieally operating upon the removal OiiltllQ driving force from said driving member to rock said rocker nemher in the'rev erse direction and return said power transmitting element to its normal idle position. Y w 3. In combination with drivingand driven sha ftsand a gear fixed on eat-hot said sha a rocker member mounted on the driving;

sha'tt, a power transmitting gear carried said rocker member-and constantly one":

with the gear on said driving shaft and no mally disengaged from the gear on the drlven shaft, a pivotedmemher having a series of teeth in eeeentricrelation to its pivot ooaet-Y n'ialiy disei'igaged from the gear on the driven shatt a pivoted member 'l'i'aving alseries of teeth in eccentric relation to its pivot aetin with the teeth of said power transmitting element, said pivoted member being; uated in the'initial operation or the driving shaft to impart a planetary moven'ient to the power sn'iitting element and move the same into entraingd rel 1 tion with'the gear on the, driven pivoted element to a normal position; and means automatically operating upon removal of the driving. force from aid driving shaft to restore said rocker men'lbeitand t epoiver siaft means for snbsequently returning said transnii'ttin'gelen'ient to norn'iaiposition and 7 thereby disontrain said driving and driven shafts. v i i 5. The con'ibinatlon with spaced and'disengaged driving and driven toothed gear me 'ibers, a stationary member, rocker ni'e' chaiiisn'i ineluding rocker member and a power transmitting gear member carried thereby andliaving teeth" constantly meshing wit; the teeth of the driving; gear member, amieccentrie means rotatabiy mounted on said stationary member. having a portionot variable radius for engagement th said rocker mechanism for 'cai sing the att'er to move toward the driven gear upon initial aleti ation of the driving; i i I The combination with spaced disengaged driving" and driven toothed gear inenr bers, an intermediate toothed gear member constantly Ime'shing Withthe driving member and movable to meshed and imn'ieshed positionswitli respect to the driven gear member, a bearing member stationary with respeet to; the driving and driven gear members? nd' means ecee ntii cal iy mounted on said bearing n .inber eo operating with teeth of the internist I t i 1 v use the latter to move tows theldriven gearm'enr ber uponinitial actuation of the driving gear I lllGlYllilGI. 7 i 7. The combination wvithjspaeed disengaged driving); nd d1 veil gear members, an interniediate g; H inn with the driving gear member and movable in an arcnate path, having for its axis the axisi of thedri'ving gear member, into car 1 nemher "constantl T meshmeshed and unmeshed positions with respect to the driven gear member, a hearing member stationary with respeet'to the driving and driven gear members and a member oapahle of rolling engagement with the intermediate gear member as the latter moves in a meshing direction mounted on said hearing and its surface of said engagement disposed eccentrieally With respect to the axis whereby, when rotation of 1 the dIlVlllg gear is lnitiated, the intermediate gear member Will be caused to move 1n a of said bearin meshing direction.

JOHN A. MCGREW. 

